Friday, August 29, 2014

Cook With Fire: Lisabet Sarai's Ingredients of Bliss

One sexy French chef. One kinky American TV producer. One
ambitious Chinese gal who thinks she wants them both. The ingredients of bliss?
Or a recipe for disaster?

Here's what Lisabet had to say about the genesis of this tasty tale:

Normandy home--photo by author

In April of 2013, my husband and I were fortunate enough to
enjoy a two and a half week vacation in France. We traveled by train, in a
broad circle that took us through much of the country. Starting in Paris, we
visited historic Lyons, Annecy in the French Alps, Chamonix, lively Marseille,
glorious Avignon, Carcassonne with its Crusader-era fortress, cosmopolitan
Bordeaux, and medieval Normandy, before returning to Paris for several days.
This incredible journey served as partial inspiration for my new novel The Ingredients of
Bliss.

In this contemporary BDSM ménage, Mei Lee “Emily” Wong, an
accomplished cook from Hong Kong, and her boss, the culinary legend Etienne
Duvalier, are sent to France by the Toutes Les Saveurs network to shoot a
series of shows on location, featuring regional cuisine and tourist highlights.
Emily's master, producer Harry Sanborne, is also part of the entourage. Emily,
Etienne and Harry retrace my steps, from Paris to Lyons to Marseille. In that
gritty seaside melting pot, the story diverges from my itinerary, as a criminal
gang kidnaps Harry and Etienne in a case of mistaken identity. (However, I did
manage to include some scenes in Nice, which I visited on a previous trip to
France.)

My stories always have a strong sense of place, and this one
is no exception. Some authors deliberately set their tales in nameless cities –
so as not to distract from the unfolding relationships, one friend told me. Of
course every writer is different, but for me, the sights, sounds, smells and
tastes surrounding my characters are important determinants of their thoughts
and moods. Given that both Emily and Etienne are chefs, one can hardly imagine
a more appropriate setting. Meanwhile, my recent experiences there made it easy
for me to conjure vivid sensual impressions.

Magnificent France forms the backdrop for this tale of love,
sex, danger and deliverance. If you enjoy travel tales, that's just one more
reason to get yourself a copy of this lusty and transgressive romance.

Here's a spicy excerpt Lisabet cooked up to sharpen your appetite:

Though I was alone, I couldn’t help blushing at the sight of
the massive dildo. Fashioned of jet black silicon, it was nine inches long and
a full two inches in diameter. Harry had insisted I buy it. He’d stood laughing
in the background at the adult store while I’d stuttered and fumbled with my
credit card, unable to meet the clerk’s eyes.

“It will never fit,” I’d protested, after I’d obeyed his
order.

We’d strolled arm in arm down Market Street, my cheeks still
hot with embarrassment. I’d felt as though every passerby knew what I carried
in the plain brown paper bag.

“Oh, you’re wrong, love. It will fit perfectly—not just in
your pussy, but in your ass too.”

He was right of course. If I was sufficiently aroused—and I
was always that way, around Harry—it slid right in. The first time he’d
commanded me to fuck myself with the obscene object, I’d had one of the most
intense orgasms in my life. He hadn’t inserted it into my anus yet—nor forced me
to bugger myself—but I knew he would eventually.

How would that feel? My rear hole tightened at the mere
thought of such an invasion.

Stretched out on the bed again, I feathered my hands over my
bare breasts, across my belly and down to my cunt. The lips were slick and swollen
under my fingertips. Spreading them with my left hand, I rubbed the toy over my
inner folds, gathering wetness. My clit screamed for attention, but I held off,
as I knew Harry would, building the tension. Instead, I eased the first inch or
so of the artificial cock into my channel, pretending it was Harry’s cock.

As always, going farther felt impossible. The silicone rod
was too big, too hard. My poor, tight pussy could never accommodate such a
bulk. Pain flickered through the haze of my arousal as my flesh protested. “I
can’t,” I moaned out loud.

Of course you can. You will. For me.

The Ingredients of Bliss By Lisabet Sarai

Contemporary BDSM ménage

Totally Bound, 2014

Get your copy today!

The special VIP edition of The Ingredients of Bliss
is now available from Totally Bound.
This version contains a sizzling bonus chapter not available from other
retailers. Totally Bound has the most advanced book selling site of any
independent publisher on the web, with new One-Click ordering and direct
delivery to all e-reader platforms.

Blog Tour Prizes

First prize: $30 gift certificate to Sur La Table (http://www.surlatable.com)
Second prize: $20 gift certificate to Whole Foods Market (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com)
Third prize: Three-pack of ebooks from my back list, including a copy of Her Secret Ingredient, the prequel to The
Ingredients of Bliss.

Recipes from an
International Kitchen, to everyone who leaves a comment. AND I have a bonus
$10 Totally Bound gift certificate for the tour host who gets the most reader
comments.

I'll also be giving a PDF copy of my own original cookbook,

To enter, simply leave a comment that includes your email
address. You can enter once for each spot in the tour. For the full tour
schedule, go to:

I started both writing and cooking at an early age, and I've
continued to indulge both passions as I've matured. Usually I'm an
improvisational cook; I'm not all that fond of following recipes, and when I
do, I almost always introduce my own variations. My philosophy tends to be the
more spice, the better.

You could say the same about my writing. Since the release
of my debut novel Raw Silk in 1999, I've published lots of
erotica and erotic romance in almost every sub-genre– more than fifty single
author titles, plus dozens of short stories in various erotic anthologies,
including the Lambda winner Where the Girls Are and the IPPIE Best
Erotic Book of 2011, Carnal Machines. My gay scifi erotic romance Quarantine
won a Rainbow Awards 2012 Honorable Mention.

I have more degrees than anyone would ever need, from
prestigious educational institutions who would no doubt be deeply embarrassed
by my chosen genre. Widely traveled but still with a long bucket list of places
to go, I currently live in Southeast Asia with my indulgent husband and two
exceptional felines, where I pursue an alternative career that is completely
unrelated to my creative writing.

Thanks for hosting me, Suz. I saved the travel post for your blog, because I know you're a sister in spirit when it comes to voyaging.

Trix, France is amazing, though a bit of a challenge, too. We were surprised to discover that many of the smaller train stations did not have any sort of alternative facilities (other than stairs) for getting up to and down from the platforms. With our luggage, it was a bit of a trial. What would someone handicapped do? Then in one small town - Carcassone, I think it was - we arrived around 3 PM and could not get any food. I was astonished, having believed that the French lived for food and kept their cafes open 24/7. Not in this place though! We ended up having to buy stuff from a convenience store, not the best lunch we had on the trip.

However, overall, I highly recommend the place. It's incredibly varied, and each area has its own special qualities.

I haven't been to France for a long time but you've piqued my interest. Lisabet, if Carcasonne is in southern France they may follow the custom of afternoon naps. I know that everything in southern Italy closes down for a couple of hours each afternoon. The first time I encountered that it was disconcerting---I, also was STARVING and couldn't find an open restaurant. But I now appreciate my afternoon siesta more than I can say!

About Me

Best-selling, award-winning author Suz deMello has written nineteen books in several genres, including nonfiction, memoir, romance, erotica, comedy, historical, paranormal, mystery and suspense, plus a number of short stories and articles on writing. She has also contributed to several bestselling boxed sets. Learn more about her books at her site, suzdemello.com.